Man Sentenced To 100 Years For Assaulting Minor

Minnehaha County

A man in Sioux Falls has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for raping a child and threatening to kill their siblings.

Circuit Court Judge Robin Houwman sentenced 39-year-old Ivor Leroy Grove on Tuesday to 75 years for first-degree rape and 25 years for aggravated assault. He was found guilty by a jury last year and is considered to be a habitual offender.

Grove, who was described as a family acquaintance, had driven the victim and their siblings to Wall Lake during a day trip in August 2016. On the way back to Sioux Falls, he sexually assaulted the victim at knifepoint behind an outbuilding at an abandoned farm and threatened to kill their siblings if they resisted.

Prosecutors say Grove then drove the victim and their siblings back home, where the sexual assault was reportedly shortly after.

According to the Minnehaha County State's Attorney's office, Grove was arrested the next day. He denied having any sexual contact with the victim, who received medical treatment and an examination after the assault.

During Tuesday's sentencing, Grove also received a suspended sentence for sexual contact with a minor.